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<title>THE TREES AND THE AXE</title>
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<h2>THE TREES AND THE AXE</h2>
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<p>A Woodman went into the <span class="picturedef forest">forest</span>
 and begged of the Trees the
favour of a <span class="picturedef handle">handle</span>
 for his <span class="picturedef axe">axe</span>
. The <span class="picturedef principal">principal</span>
 Trees at once agreed
to so modest a request, and unhesitatingly gave him a <span class="picturedef young">young</span>
 <span class="picturedef ash">ash</span>

sapling, out of which he fashioned the <span class="picturedef handle">handle</span>
 he desired. No sooner
had he done so than he set to work to fell the noblest Trees in the
<span class="picturedef wood">wood</span>
. When they <span class="picturedef saw">saw</span>
 the use to which he was putting their <span class="picturedef gift">gift</span>
,
they cried, "Alas! alas! We are undone, but we are ourselves to
blame. The little we gave has cost us all: had we not sacrificed
the rights of the <span class="picturedef ash">ash</span>
, we might ourselves have stood for ages."</p>
<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/11-ttrees.jpg"
alt="THE TREES AND THE AXE"></div>
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